I loved Gawker and really appreciated the writing/writers, especially both of you. As someone who has had health problems that are not served well by our medical system, even when it is at its best (whenever that was), I feel for Tom Scocca. I read his New York Magazine article and it sounded terrifying and grueling. One bright point in my post-cancer life was a yearly appointment with a wonderful cancer surgeon's nurse who did a yearly checkup under a program to improve"survivorship". It was immensely helpful in allaying my fear of an undetected recurrence. But, like the disappearing journalism jobs, that job was just axed. The hospital will no longer fund "survivorship" programs. It's shocking that we live with such a low quality medical status quo, and that medical care and overall medical health is getting worse, and not better, especially since the pandemic.
The fact that Tom Scocca is not editing a major newspaper or periodical--the fact that he has to go around, cap in hand, and, it seems, beg for work, much less a job--is absolutely fucking ridiculous, and says all anyone really needs to say to explain the sorry state of American journalism. I can only increase the amount of my annual subscription to Indignity, as I do every year. (I do the same for How Things Work and a few others, and I've funded Flaming Hydra.)
As a longtime fan of both Hamilton and Tom (and also as a longtime blogger and media professional), I really appreciated this piece. Get better soon, Tom!
Thank you for posting this! Tom's NYMag article was heartbreaking to read, but sadly unsurprising given the sorry state of healthcare in this country. Wishing him all the best.
.. this is ‘the Right Stuff’ in my view.. ya coaxed some smouldering embers banked for the night .. and early morning hyper riders can warm the fingers, coffee up for a bit.. Tom & you tell the tale .. yarn it ..
Aint got a dime to my name.. or dreams of one.. / not anytime soon either.. less i find the horse what threw me.. But got my feet on the good ground.. and a nose for things
huge thanks / Tom & you both - links look outstanding.. will saddle up my realities.. be off 🏴☠️🦎🇨🇦
koko blog is an all-timer. that this industry somehow has resources for an encyclopedia of ink on a college administrator(???) but not enough for tom blogs proves we live in a fallen world.
I loved this interview. I wanted to pull so many quotes out of it and put them on my nonexistent vision board because a real vision board would remind me that I work in a field (writing) that has no value unless you write bullshit marketing crap for technology companies (and even then, it’s iffy) that probably get funding from Peter Thiel’s vampire coven. In any event, it made me so nostalgic for Gawker. I spent part of my workday reading Tom’s piece, and I found it so painful because of what’s he’s been going through and because were missing out on his writing in a national forum at a regular cadence. I hope he gets to full health soon and that a mysterious relative or some other 19th century literary device leaves him a gazillion dollars to build a huge platform where Nazis can’t monetize and you and he can write whatever you want to a huge audience. And if there’s money left over ... now I’m getting ahead of myself
"You can interview with people, write a memo, take an edit test, and then just have them…ghost on you?"
Does this guy actually believe that this is something specific to journalism? I don't know anyone, including myself, who has not been abruptly ghosted by a firm deep in the interview process, to say nothing of a headhunter who places someone else and won't even bother to attend the phone interview that *they* set up with you.
I guess this was meant as an illustration of the specific cruelties of journalism; instead, it's the latest instance of a Gawker writer making it seem like they have no idea how the world outside of Gawker works.
Hamilton you did such a great interview w Tom. Can you do more? Love your quote about Tom and yours different writing styles and how they get to the same conclusion.
OH WEIRD - that link works for me too. It didn't work via the email you sent to me - but that might just be on my end. Anyway, so happy this still exists! Really fascinating article I am reading right now. Thanks!
I loved Gawker and really appreciated the writing/writers, especially both of you. As someone who has had health problems that are not served well by our medical system, even when it is at its best (whenever that was), I feel for Tom Scocca. I read his New York Magazine article and it sounded terrifying and grueling. One bright point in my post-cancer life was a yearly appointment with a wonderful cancer surgeon's nurse who did a yearly checkup under a program to improve"survivorship". It was immensely helpful in allaying my fear of an undetected recurrence. But, like the disappearing journalism jobs, that job was just axed. The hospital will no longer fund "survivorship" programs. It's shocking that we live with such a low quality medical status quo, and that medical care and overall medical health is getting worse, and not better, especially since the pandemic.
I wish healing and a great job for Tom Scocca.
The fact that Tom Scocca is not editing a major newspaper or periodical--the fact that he has to go around, cap in hand, and, it seems, beg for work, much less a job--is absolutely fucking ridiculous, and says all anyone really needs to say to explain the sorry state of American journalism. I can only increase the amount of my annual subscription to Indignity, as I do every year. (I do the same for How Things Work and a few others, and I've funded Flaming Hydra.)
As a longtime fan of both Hamilton and Tom (and also as a longtime blogger and media professional), I really appreciated this piece. Get better soon, Tom!
Thank you for posting this! Tom's NYMag article was heartbreaking to read, but sadly unsurprising given the sorry state of healthcare in this country. Wishing him all the best.
.. this is ‘the Right Stuff’ in my view.. ya coaxed some smouldering embers banked for the night .. and early morning hyper riders can warm the fingers, coffee up for a bit.. Tom & you tell the tale .. yarn it ..
Aint got a dime to my name.. or dreams of one.. / not anytime soon either.. less i find the horse what threw me.. But got my feet on the good ground.. and a nose for things
huge thanks / Tom & you both - links look outstanding.. will saddle up my realities.. be off 🏴☠️🦎🇨🇦
koko blog is an all-timer. that this industry somehow has resources for an encyclopedia of ink on a college administrator(???) but not enough for tom blogs proves we live in a fallen world.
Sad and awfully true. The "hog waste lagoon" is perfect--that's just what it is. All good wishes to Tom Scocca.
I loved this interview. I wanted to pull so many quotes out of it and put them on my nonexistent vision board because a real vision board would remind me that I work in a field (writing) that has no value unless you write bullshit marketing crap for technology companies (and even then, it’s iffy) that probably get funding from Peter Thiel’s vampire coven. In any event, it made me so nostalgic for Gawker. I spent part of my workday reading Tom’s piece, and I found it so painful because of what’s he’s been going through and because were missing out on his writing in a national forum at a regular cadence. I hope he gets to full health soon and that a mysterious relative or some other 19th century literary device leaves him a gazillion dollars to build a huge platform where Nazis can’t monetize and you and he can write whatever you want to a huge audience. And if there’s money left over ... now I’m getting ahead of myself
"You can interview with people, write a memo, take an edit test, and then just have them…ghost on you?"
Does this guy actually believe that this is something specific to journalism? I don't know anyone, including myself, who has not been abruptly ghosted by a firm deep in the interview process, to say nothing of a headhunter who places someone else and won't even bother to attend the phone interview that *they* set up with you.
I guess this was meant as an illustration of the specific cruelties of journalism; instead, it's the latest instance of a Gawker writer making it seem like they have no idea how the world outside of Gawker works.
Beautiful piece
Hamilton you did such a great interview w Tom. Can you do more? Love your quote about Tom and yours different writing styles and how they get to the same conclusion.
I tried the "On Swarm" link you sent via waybackmachine and it's not loading. Does anyone have a copy of this? I am desperate for it.
The link works for me:https://web.archive.org/web/20131205172117/https://gawker.com/on-smarm-1476594977
Just confirming...link didn't work for me either in the original email.
Thank you Beth!
OH WEIRD - that link works for me too. It didn't work via the email you sent to me - but that might just be on my end. Anyway, so happy this still exists! Really fascinating article I am reading right now. Thanks!